Dire Wolf de-extinction

[Mike 338]

Hmmm, historically speaking, does this end well?

 

[Speaks]

I found any article on this fairly non-exciting but decided to watch his long discussion on Rogan during my flight back from Delhi yesterday which confirmed its both less impressive and more concerning. Likely would not have finished it if I had less than 16 hours flight time....

Lets set aside that this is really just a cosmetically modified grey wolf. What bugged me most was the discussion around Red wolves. There are something like 20 of them left. He wants to try and make 50 more semi accurate clones then release them into the wild population. When the state agencies said hey we need some time to look at if this will help or hurt he acts like that is just insane red tape. Well if his clones get in and breed with the few remaining wolves left and mess up that gene pool it could wipe out this population he soposedly wants to save.

Moreover, while he acts like this is an altruistic non-profit its a for profit PE backed company. I have no issue with for profit companies or PEs but dont pretend there is a not a pile of money to be made and come clean about what the objectives are. I dont like any of what I saw.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Hmmm, historically speaking, does this end well?

I think there was a series of movies about this Jurassic something or others…. I’m sure it will be different this time

 

[elkhunter505]

I'm absolutely positive they do.
And that's why they're doing it.

Too bad this guy wasn't a connected billionaire.

Montana Man Sentenced to 6 Months in Prison for Smuggling, Cloning, and Breeding Giant Hybrid Sheep

An 81-year-old man was sentenced to six months in prison for his yearslong effort to create giant hybrid sheep for captive hunting operations.

www.outdoorlife.com

Similarly to what Colossal has going, that was a nightmare waiting to happen when the hybrids break through a captive fence. Colossal and scientists needs to research this for 20+ years before they decide to do something hasty and screw everything up. Cool idea, somewhat. Needs years and years of proving before I personally would be supportive of using cloned animals to augment populations. Red wolves are a bit interesting because we do have red wolves in captivity so we could use CRISPR with direct red wolf DNA rather than what they did with these Dire Wolves, but it still has me on edge and I wouldn’t support it until we had a large research base behind it like using captive red wolves to simulate a population inside a fence and make sure the genes are not being wiped out by the cloned wolves. Just overall seems way way too hasty to be making some of the claims that they are talking about.

Additionally, that guy was not bringing back a species, he was genetically creating a new one which I completely disagree with. I am super skeptical about what Colossal has going. It’s a ton of power and for profit which just makes me think it’s going to grow out of control really fast because of money flowing in.

 

[RockAndSage]

Similarly to what Colossal has going, that was a nightmare waiting to happen when the hybrids break through a captive fence. Colossal and scientists needs to research this for 20+ years before they decide to do something hasty and screw everything up. Cool idea, somewhat. Needs years and years of proving before I personally would be supportive of using cloned animals to augment populations. Red wolves are a bit interesting because we do have red wolves in captivity so we could use CRISPR with direct red wolf DNA rather than what they did with these Dire Wolves, but it still has me on edge and I wouldn’t support it until we had a large research base behind it like using captive red wolves to simulate a population inside a fence and make sure the genes are not being wiped out by the cloned wolves. Just overall seems way way too hasty to be making some of the claims that they are talking about.

Additionally, that guy was not bringing back a species, he was genetically creating a new one which I completely disagree with. I am super skeptical about what Colossal has going. It’s a ton of power and for profit which just makes me think it’s going to grow out of control really fast because of money flowing in.

There's "responsible"...

...and then there's lab in China operating at market speed who will create a monster hybrid Tule/Rocky Mountain elk and make a pile of cash selling and smuggling its semen before the first bit of US legislation even gets introduced limit it.

 

[mtwarden]

"captive hunting operation"- an oxymoron if I've ever heard of one; more like kind of, sort of captive—sure a few get out every once in awhile, but what's the harm

 

[displacedtexan]

Interestingly... The guy who wrote Game of Thrones is an investor and advisor.

 

[MGro78]

Without Dire wolf DNA wouldn't these wolves just be a hybrid grey wolf?

 

[OMF]

And Neanderthals!

That's what I was thinking... Maybe something like Wilma and Betty from the Flintstones.

 

[TNRB]

Similarly to what Colossal has going, that was a nightmare waiting to happen when the hybrids break through a captive fence. Colossal and scientists needs to research this for 20+ years before they decide to do something hasty and screw everything up. Cool idea, somewhat. Needs years and years of proving before I personally would be supportive of using cloned animals to augment populations. Red wolves are a bit interesting because we do have red wolves in captivity so we could use CRISPR with direct red wolf DNA rather than what they did with these Dire Wolves, but it still has me on edge and I wouldn’t support it until we had a large research base behind it like using captive red wolves to simulate a population inside a fence and make sure the genes are not being wiped out by the cloned wolves. Just overall seems way way too hasty to be making some of the claims that they are talking about.

Additionally, that guy was not bringing back a species, he was genetically creating a new one which I completely disagree with. I am super skeptical about what Colossal has going. It’s a ton of power and for profit which just makes me think it’s going to grow out of control really fast because of money flowing in.

I am interested as well considering Red Wolves. So would genetically modifying this species increase their odds of making it? If so I am begging for genetically modified southern ruffed grouse

 

[elkhunter505]

I am interested as well considering Red Wolves. So would genetically modifying this species increase their odds of making it? If so I am begging for genetically modified southern ruffed grouse

Honestly I have no clue. The genetic bottleneck is pretty bad from what I hear so it would likely be extremely helpful but I am not sure if they have the habitat to make it. Lots of fragmentation and people that don’t like carnivores. Not sure on the ruffed grouse front, are they doing badly? Seems like they would be more likely to make it. It’s just whether or not the genetic stuff they’re doing is successful and doesn’t result in other consequences of changing the gene.

 

[RELIANT]

I don't see the point in bring prehistoric animals back...they died out for a reason. Just cause we can doesn't mean we should.

 

[mt terry d]

Not to worry, The CIA is involved.

Mammoth Interest: The CIA Invests in Dallas-Based Colossal Biosciences

The Central Intelligence Agency has invested in Colossal through its nonprofit VC investment arm, In-Q-Tel, reports The Intercept. Named in honor of Q—the tech genius from the James Bond novels and movies—the VC firm was founded in 1999 to keep U.S. intelligence agencies on the cutting edge of...

dallasinnovates.com

 

[Gila]

Without Dire wolf DNA wouldn't these wolves just be a hybrid grey wolf?

Colossal targeted genes that affect phenotype: the observable characteristics of the dire wolf —in this case, mostly its appearance. The company’s scientists edited genes (I think maybe 14 total) that affect fur color and thickness and body size, as well as skull, ear and facial shape. The Dire wolf DNA was too degraded to actually replicate, from what I have been able to understand. This technology is definitely not ready to help out bringing the Red Wolf (or any species for that matter) back from the BRINK of extinction. Cloning of different red wolf DNA may be more viable at this point, don’t know. But whenever a species is re-introduced, the gene pool needs to be monitored closely and from time to time will need an “infusion” to avoid problematic in-breeding.

 

[flathead#2]

Reminds me of Jurassic Park.
Just because you "can" do it doesnt mean you "should".
But if I could hunt Hell Pigs and Irish Elk, that would be cool.

 

[StuckoYota99]

Hey I've seen this movie before. Just wait until they escape and learn to communicate with other mammals. Gotta send Liam Neeson to Texas to hunt them.

 

[Dan Carey]

Bring back the Neanderthal, I'm sure I'm related to them.